Telltale device for games



Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELLTALE DEVICE Foa Gam-:s Raymond T. Moloney, Chiosco, Ill.

Application November 1, 1935, Serial No. 47,895

6 Claims. (177-311) since some of the games employ automatic check,

token, or ticket pay out award dispensing devices,

such tilting may result in unauthorized awards 15 which' are not based upon the honest skill of the player.

It is desirable, therefore, that a tell tale device be operatively associated with the game to give an indication of whether or not the game 20 has been tilted, and to make the award dispenser instantlyinoperative upon tilting of the game.

Attempts have been made to solve this tell tale problem, such devices employing a free ball which rolls off a support or rest when the game 25 has been tilted. Difculty is encountered in reseating the ball and therefore these ball type tell tale devices are not entirely satisfactory.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved tell tale device for games which will 30 be positive in operation and overcome all difliculties heretofore encountered in the ball type tell tale indicators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a needle or pointer type of tell tale indicator that 35 will move to a position indicating the game has been tilted upon the slightest movement of the game table from its normal level.

Also it is an object to provide such an indicator operable from a plumb bob that closes a circuit 4 to an electromagnetic device, which device thereupon operates connections to rock a shaft upon which the indicator needle is carried.

Still another object of the invention is to provide mechanism operable when the indicator is 45 .noved to indicate tilt of the game, to open or break an auxiliary circuit to a dispenser whereby the latter is made inoperative.

Another important object is to provide an in- 50 dicator of the type mentioned which will be simple and eiective for the purposes intended, said indicator being constructed as a small compact unit which may be quickly and readily associated with pin ball or analogous games. 50 Further it is an object to provide a simple means for eifectively restoring the indicator to non-tilt indicating position.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in this art as the disclosure is more fully made.

In the present disclosure, for purposes of il- 5 lustration, a pin ball gaine is provided having the usual cabinet carrying a game board sloped slightly from the horizontal so that a ball, or balls, projected to the upper end thereof will eventually gravitate down the board to lodge in score holes formed in the board. An under, slid` ably mounted, panel is provided to support the balls within the holes in the usual way, said panel serving to release the balls when a coin released slide is operated to set the game for play. The tell tale unit comprises a bracket secured in any convenient place to the under side of the board, the bracket carrying a vertical rock shaft passed upwardly through the board and carrying at its upper end a pointer needle movable with the shaft over a dial plate marked for example 0. K. at one point, and Tilt at another point. The lower end of the rock shaft carries a latch portion cooperable with a pivoted spring pulled member to hold the shaft normally against rocking or turning movement. The pivoted member is in effect an armature for an electromagnet carried by the bracket, and when the electromagnet is energized the armature is moved to release the latch whereupon the rock shaft is spring pulled to turn and move the indicator to its tilt indicating position. The rock shaft at its lower end includes a cam head to open a contact switch to break an auxiliary circuit to an electrically operated dispenser or the like so that when the game has been tilted the auxiliary mechanism is made inoperative. Of course, in the untilted position of the rock shaft this cam head holds the auxiliary circuit closed. A

The circuit to the electro-magnetic tilt indi- 4,0 cator is controlled by a disturbance operated member in the form of a pendant plumb bob hung in a suitable place from the underside of the game board, said bob hanging within and spaced from a contact ring in the circuit to the electro-magnet. Obviously, when the board is tilted the bob contacts the ring to energize the electro-magnet circuit, thereby releasing the latched rock shaft and causing its turning movement to set the indicator in its tilt indicating position.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the front half of a standard pin ball game, showing the improved tilt indicator associated therewith., a portion of 56 the game board being broken away to show a plan view of the plumb bob circuit maker;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the game board showing a front elevational view of the tilt indicator unit assembled in place;

Figure 3 is a detailI bottom plan view of the tilt indicator unit, showing the parts in nontilt position;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3, showing the electro-magnet energized and the parts located in the tilt indicating position; and

Figure 5 is a sectional View along the line 5-5 of Figure 1 showing a front elevation of the plumb bob circuit control.

'I'he pin ball game herein shown is of common form and comprises the usual rectangular cabinet IIJ having a front wall II, Isaid cabinet carrying a play board or table I2 inclined slightly from the horizontal with its lower end disposed adjacent the front wall II. Said board carries a margin piece I3 forming an oval track which at its lower end is notched to receive balls missing the holes or traps on the game board'. Such balls are out balls and lodge in an opening I4 formed in the board I2, as shown.

Along one side of the board. I2 is a ball projection passage I5 in which is disposed a. ball projector I6 or plunger operable by a`knob I'I, said plunger, in the conventional manner, `being carried in the front wall II, as shown. The board I2 is provided with the usual ball receiving holes I8 arranged in any desired manner. The underside of the board I2 in the well known manner carries slidably a shuffle board or ball supporting panel I9 that serves to hold balls in place entering the holes I8 or I4. A coin release slide 20 is mounted in the front wall I I, said slide at its inner end being positioned to abut a shoulder bracket 2l on the under panel I9 for shifting the latter rearwardly. Said panel is formed with ball drop openings 22 to release balls in the holes I8 to drop onto the usual ball accumulating means, not shown. In this manner the ball, (or balls) is made available for replay by the projector I6, all of which is well understood in the art. Balls from the opening I4 merely fall off the front edge of the panel I9 as it is pushed rearwardly by the slide 26. Springs, not shown, restore the panel I9 and slide 20 to their normal forward position when the player releases his hand from the said slide 20.

In any suitable place within the cabinet below the board I2, such for example as on the left hand wall of the cabinet, there is mounted a bracket 23 in circuit with a wire 24. Said bracket pivotally and pendantly carries a metal conductor pin 25 at the lower end of which is carried a cone-shaped plumb bob 26, said bob being adjustable along the pin by means of a set screw 21. Below the bracket 23 the wall carries a second bracket 28 in circuit with a wire 29, said bracket including a horizontal metal contact ring 39 within which the plumb bob 26 is suspended and normally centrally within the ring so as not to contact the same. The wire 29 leads to a suitable source of electrical energy, such for example as a battery 3I which may be carried on the floor 32 of the cabinet IIJ.

The indicator unit itself comprises a bracket 33 secured appropriately to the underside of the board I2. Journaled for rocking or turning movement in this bracket is an upright, or vertical shaft 34 which is passed upwardly through a bore 35 formed through the parts I2 and I3 as shown in Figure 2. At its top end the shaft 34 has secured thereto an indicator needle, or pointer 36, movable over a stationary dial plate 31 secured to the top surface of the margin piece I3, as shown. 'Ihis dial is sector shaped and at one end is marked 0. K. and at the other end Tilt. Other appropriate designations may, of course, be employed, if desired. The needle 36 is obviously movable over this dial plate from one marked position to the other, as will later more fully appear.

The lower end of the shaft 34 protrudes below the bracket and has secured thereto, to turn therewith, a horizontal disk or head 38 formed with a notch 39 cooperable with the bent latch end 40 of an armature element 4I which is hingedly mounted on a pin 42 carried by the bracket 33. This armature is associated with an electromagnet 43 carried by a depending Wall 44 included in the bracket 33. A wire 45 leads from the electro-magnetic device 43 to the battery 3|, while the wire 24 heretofore described is connected between the magnet 43 and plumb bob contact ring 30.

The head 38 has integrally formed therewith an arm or lever 46 disposed laterally to be in the path of a resetting bar 4`I having a bent end 48 to engage the lever 46, said bar 4l being longitudinally disposed and carried on the under ball release panel or shuiiie board I9, as shown in Figure l. A spring 49 connects between the lever 46 and shaft 42. A spring 50 connects between the armature 4I and a stop lug 5I formed with the bracket 33, said bracket including a second stop lug 52. The lever 46 has snap movement between-said lugs 5I, 52 which serve as limit stops.

The bracket 33 also includes a depending wall 53 carrying insulating laminations between which is carried a pair of spring contact bars 54 which are in circuit with a pair of wires 55 that lead to some auxiliary mechanism usable in the game, such for example, as a dispenser. Under their inherent resiliency these spring bars 54 would gap apart at their free contact ends if some means were not provided for normally holding them together.

As shown in Figure 3 such means is provided by forming an extension on the head 38, said eX- tension having a disk wiper 56 secured thereto by a pin 57. The wiper 56 is made of insulator, or non-conducting material. The use and operation of the improved tilt indicator and circuit breaker device above described in detail will now be summarized.

'Ihe pendant bob circuit maker of Figure 5 is assembled in the cabinet in the manner described and the indicator unit of Figures 3 and 4 is also located and mounted in the mannei shown and described. In the normal level position of the game table the bob 26 hangs inside the contact ring 30 Without touching it. As for the indicator unit the normal position of the parts is depicted in Figure 3 where the magnet 43 is deenergized so that the spring 50 holds the armature elementl 4I away from the magnet. Also the spring 49 holds the notch or latch projection 39 of the lever head 38 locked against the bent end 40 of the armature. With the lever 46 thus held in a rearward position the shaft 34 is in a rocked position to hold the pointer 36 in the position marked 0. K. as shown in Figure 1. When the ball drop panel I9 is moved by the coin slide 20 the bar 41 and bent end 48 do not engage the lever 46 if the parts are in the normal position now being described. 'I'his is shown in the full line position of the bar 41 in Figure 3. With the indicator 38 designating 0. K. the player instantly knows that the dispenser circuit 84 is held closed and that if he lodges a ball in the skill holes I8 the dispenser will function.

During the play of the game if the playe should attempt to alter the path of a ball rolling over the table I2 by tilting the same in any direction, the plumbbob 28 is instantly contacted with the ring 30 to establish the circuit to the electro-magnet 43, whereupon the latter is energized. Thereupon the magnet pulls the armature 4I toward itself to release the end 48 thereof from the notch 39, causing the spring 43 to pull the lever 46 forwardly, as shown in Figure 4. The wiper 56 now moves away from the contacts 54 causing them to open to break the circuit to the dispenser thereby making it inoperative. Movement of the lever 48 rocks the shaft 34 in the same direction to swing .the pointer 38 to its Tilt position on the dial 31. The lever moves between the stops 5I, 52 to limit itsrange of movement.

'I'he lever 48 in its present forward position shown-in Figure 4 is directly in the path of movement of the end 48 of the resetting bar 41 so that when the coin chute 20 pushes the ball release panel I9 rearwardly the end 48 of the bar 41 resets the lever 48 to the position shown in Figure 8 where all parts are locked in the 0. K. position of the indicator.

From the disclosure it can now be seen that a simple and effective mechanism has been provided for the purposes stated which achieves all of the desirable objects heretofore stated.

It is the intention to cover all changes and modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as indicated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tell tale device for disclosing unauthorized tilting of a substantially horizontal board, said device carried by the board comprising an indicator located visibly on the board and movable from one position to another, an upright shaft carried by the board for mounting and moving the indicator, means for releasably latching the shaft against turning movement, means normally tending to rotate the shaft against the action of the latch means, electro-magnetic means for releasing the latching means to cause turning of the shaft to move 'the indicator from its latched to the other position, and a disturbance operated switch carried below the board for causing energization of the electro-magnetic means.

2. A tell tale device for disclosing unauthorized tilting of a substantially horizontal board, said device carried by the board comprising a pointer located above vthe board.l and movable from one position to another, an upright rock shaft mounted in the board for carrying and moving the pointer, -latch means operatively associated with the shaft to hold it locked releasably in one position, means normally tending to rock the shaft against the action of the latch means, and means operable whenI the board is tilted to unlock the shaft and cause it to turn and move the pointer to its other position.

3. A tell tale device for disclosing unauthorized tilting of a substantially horizontal board, said` device being carried by the board and comprising an indicator element located in a visible position above the board and movable from one position to another, an upright shaft turnably mounted in the board for carrying and moving the indicator element, latch means operatively associated with the shaft to hold it releasably locked in one position, an electro-magnetic device carried below the board, a disturbance operated switch included in a circuit for the electro-magnetic device and operable when the board is tilted to cause energization of the electro-magnetic device, said electro-magnetic device serving to release the latch means and shaft, and means operable to turn the shaft when released to move the indicator element to another position.

4. A tell tale device for disclosing unauthorized tilting of a substantially horizontal board, said device carried by the board and comprising a pointer located above the board and movable from one position to another, an upright rock shaft mounted in the board for carrying and moving the pointer, latch means operatively associated with the shaft to hold it locked releasably in one position, means normally tending to rock the shaft against the action of the latch means, and means operable when the board is tilted to unlock the shaft and cause it to turn and move the pointer to its other position, and manually controlled means operatively carried adjacent the board for resetting the pointer and shaft to their initial latched position. s

5. A tell tale device for disclosing unauthorized tilting of a substantially horizontal board, said device carried by the board and comprising a bracket mounted under the board, an upright rock shaft journaled in the bracket, said shaft being passed upwardly through the board, a pointer carried on the shaft over the board and movable with the shaft from one position to another, means releasably locking the shaft and pointer in the one position, means normally tending to rock the shaft against the action of the locking means, means operable when the board is tilted to release the latch and cause the shaft and pointer to turn to its other position, said shaft including an arm swingable therewith, .and means operatively related to the board and manually operable for engaging said arm to rock the shaft and pointer to be swung back to their initial latched position.

6. In agame or the like, having a tiltably mounted 'substantially horizontal board, of a tell tale device to disclose tilting of the board comprising in combination with the board a pointer carried on a vertical rock shaft mounted in the board with the pointer disposed over the board and movablefrom a non-tilt to a tilt indicating position, means below the board to latch the shaft against turning movement and to releasably hold the pointer in its non-tilt indicating position, spring means urging the shaft to rock to move the pointer to its tilt indicating position, means carried below the board to release the latch means to permit the spring means to rock the shaft, a disturbance operated means located below the board for causing the release means to operate, and manually operated means -included in the structure for resetting the pointer and shaft in its releasably locked non-tilt indicating position.

RAYMOND T. MOLONEY. 

